“There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no independence quite so important, as living within your means.”
Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) president of the United States in The Quote Manual: Wisdom and Wit of the Ages ed. Robert G. Moscatell (Bloomington: AuthorHouse, 2012) 208.
If only Americans would do this today!
I am speaking in a “Faith at Work” training track later this morning at the EFCA One national conference in San Diego. Among other remarks, I will highlight ten people in the New Testament that integrated their faith, work, and economics. I will also remind listeners that these NT characters lived on less than they made so that they were positioned for generosity.
In God’s economy, the purpose of work is to bring glory to God (cf. Colossians 3:23). We make an income from work, as “the worker deserves a wage” (cf. 1 Timothy 5:18) , but we live on less than we make, not for foolish hoarding, but so we have something to share (cf. Ephesians 4:28). This is God’s design for the community of faith. It’s life in God’s economy.